Anand Kumar: Epitome Of Selfless Service

By- Khushi Bisht

Anand Kumar is a skilled mathematician and great teacher who started Super 30 and changed the lives of many underprivileged children. He trains financially disadvantaged children for the Joint Entrance Exam (JEE) and the Indian Institutes of Technology's entrance exams (IITs).

His name is inscribed in the "Limca Book of World Records" for his efforts in assisting underprivileged students in clearing the IIT-JEE exam. In this article, we will talk about Anand's life and what inspired him to start Super 30 classes and do this selfless service.

ALSO READ: Jessica Cox: "First Woman To Fly An Airplane With Her Feet"

Early Life:

Anand Kumar was born and brought up in Patna, Bihar. He hailed from a humble background, and as the son of a post office clerk, he attended a government school, where he developed his strong passion for Mathematics. He excelled in his academics, and his great passion for mathematics led him to submit a thesis on number theory, which was well received and published in a range of math publications.

He was quickly accepted to the University of Cambridge as a result of his strong interest and aptitude in mathematics. But, due to his father's demise and his financial situation, he abandoned that goal and did not pursue studies there.

Anand studied math throughout the day and sold papads (seasoned flatbread) alongside his mother in the evenings to help support his family. To supplement his income, he established a mathematics teaching institution.

Anand selects thirty bright students from severely disadvantaged sectors, including the homeless, street vendors, etc, and educates them for a year, providing study materials and accommodation.
Unsplash

Establishment of the Super 30 initiative:

In the year 1992, he hired a room for five hundred rupees and established Ramanujan School of Mathematics. His reputation increased as hundreds of pupils joined his institution.

It was during this time he met a disadvantaged student who wanted to study for the IIT-JEE entrance test but couldn't afford the tuition costs. This inspired him to create the Super 30 program, which provided worthy and disadvantaged students with free accommodation and training. Ever since 2003, the Ramanujan School of Mathematics holds a competitive test annually to choose thirty outstanding and talented students who are given free accommodation, meals, study materials, and tutoring to prepare for competitive examinations.

Thousands of students sit for the test, and he selects thirty bright students from severely disadvantaged sectors, including the homeless, street vendors, etc, and educates them for a year, providing study materials and accommodation. Jayanti Devi, his mother, prepares meals for the pupils, while Pranav Kumar, his brother, manages the institution.

The vast majority of his pupils pass the IIT examination thanks to his excellent teaching abilities. He has a string of 30/30 results from 2008 to 2012. He taught 450 students between 2003 and 2017, with 391 of them going on to the prestigious Indian Institute of Technology. In 2017, he received a 100% result.

The mission of Super 30:

The major goal of Super 30 is to find a brilliant group of students from underprivileged areas and help them improve their abilities by providing a supportive atmosphere. Anand believes students should not be hampered by their families' monetary difficulties. Therefore, he recognizes potential in students and nurtures it so that it might flourish.

Super 30's aim is to assist kids from economically disadvantaged backgrounds in gaining admission to IITs.

Anand's selfless work was brought to the attention of many when the Discovery channel broadcasted a one-hour program about Anand Kumar's Super 30 in 2009. The Super 30 institution was named one of the finest in Asia by Time magazine in 2010.

Super 30's aim is to assist kids from economically disadvantaged backgrounds in gaining admission to IITs.Wikimedia Commons

ALSO READ: Nick Vujicic's Life Without Limbs.

Anand's work is now well-known all around the world. After reading about Anand in TIME magazine, former US President Barack Obama dispatched an ambassador to inspect his work and offer all possible support, but Anand never takes help from anybody. Numerous public and commercial organizations approached Anand about sponsoring Super 30. However, he turned down all of them since he wishes to operate them on his own earnings from the Ramanujan School of Mathematics.

S Ramanujan Award, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad Award, and Ramanujan Mathematician Award are among the many honors bestowed upon Anand Kumar. In addition to several awards and plaudits, Anand Kumar's narrative was recreated by Vikas Behl's film named "Super 30," which starred Hritik Roshan.

Biju Mathew, a psychiatrist from Canada, collaborated with journalist Arun Kumar to write a book on Anand's remarkable life.

Anand Kumar is indeed an inspiration to all of us, and he is the epitome of selfless service.